Ratchet-wrench.



R. F. SEDGLEY.

RATCHET WRENCH.

APPLICATION man 1AN.ea.1917.

1,224,923.. Patented May.1, 1917.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS NT FFIQ.

REGINALD F. SEDGIEY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RATCHET-WRENCH.

Application led January 18, 1917.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, RnsiNALD F. SEDGLEY, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Ratchet-Wrench, of whichthe following is a specification.

In a prior Patent No. 1,140,167, granted May 18th, 1915, wherein I am ajoint inventor, there is shown, described and claimed a novel ratchetwrench embodying a combination socket and tool holder, having means forproviding a reversible action and novel means for holding the firstmentioned part in its different positions to accomplish the desired.results.

In the patent aforesaid, the pawl employed is held in either of itsextreme positions by means of a stop ofthe form of a ball or spherehaving a portion projecting beyond the plane of the handle so as to beengaged by the inner face of said pawl.

My present invention relates more particularly to a novel devicecoacting with M the pawl. said device comprising a resilient memberhaving its body portion mounted in a suitable groove in the handle, oneend thereof being fiXedly secured to the handle, while the other endthereof has a terminal of the form of a circle or loop, which is adaptedat all times to be in contact with one or the other of the inclined orconverging walls of the pawl, whereby 'the latter is effectively held ineither of' its eXtreme positions, means being provided for enabling mynovel pawl retaining member to be readily removed or replaced wheneverdesired, whereby the pawl is yieldingly held in either of its eXtremeoperative positions which may be desired.

My invention further consists of other novel features of construction,all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in theaccompanying drawing, one form thereof which is atpresent preferred byme, since the same will be found in practice to give satisfactory andreliable results, although it is to be understood that the variousinstrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variouslyarranged and organizedand that my invention is not limited to theprecise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities asherein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented May 1, 1917.

Serial No. 143,009.

a combination socket and tool holder, embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 represents on an enlarged scale a plan view of Fig. 1, showingthe pawl in one of its eXtreme positions.

Fig. 3 represents a plan view, similar to Fig. 2, showing the pawl andits retaining device in an opposite position from that shown in Fig. 2.v

F ig. 4 represents a longitudinal, sectional view on the line 4-4, Fig.2.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings:

1 designates the handle of my novel socket wrench, which may be of anysuitable form and is provided at one end with an opening in which isrotatably seated, the holder or hub 2 for receiving the socket or tool,and which holder is held in suitable rotatable relation with respecttothe handle 1, in any suitable or desired manner.

The hub 2 is provided with a ratchet 3 and with an angular or polygonalportion 4 for receiving the socket or tool. Suitably carried by saidangular or polygonal portion 4 is an engaging member 5, which in thepresent instance is shown as a ball having a spring 6 bearingthereagainst, said ball being suitably held against improper outwardmovement, as for example by upsetting themetal. The ball 5 forms africtional bearing against or in engagement with the tool or socket whenthe latter is placed upon the holder so as'to prevent accidentaldisplacement thereof, and by reason of the projection of the member 5being curved, 4or having a crown', the socket or tool when being placedupon the holder, automatically forces in the member 5 so as to permitthe proper seating of the socket or toolon the polygonaly portion 4,after which the ball bears against the socket and serves to hold thesocket in position.

'7 designates a pawl pivotally mounted on the handle and providedwith-the two dogs 8 and 9, which are so positioned with respect to theratohetf that one or the other thereof may be actuated to suitablyengage with the teeth ofv said ratchet. On the opposite side of thepivotal point of said pawl 7 from the dogs 8 and 9, is a tail 10extending from each side of which are the oppositely oblique orconverging walls or abutments 11 and 12.

13 designates a resilient stop, spring or member, which is seated in thelongitudinally extending recess 14 and has one end, as 15, provided withan eye through which passes the screw or other fastening device 16,whereby one end of said stop or spring is held in fixed position, theopposite end thereof being preferably provided with an eye or loop, asindicated at 17, which is adapted to engage one or the other of theoblique walls 11 or 12. By locating the body of the resilient stop,spring or member 13 in the recess or seat 14, it will be apparent thatthe free end of the same will always 'be properly positioned withrespect 'to the Vwalls or abutments 11 and 12, and that the pawl 7 canbe readily moved into either of the eXtreme positions seen in Figs. 2and 3, wherein the desired dogs 3 and 9 can be interlocked in engagementwith the desired ratchet teeth, according to conditions or requirements,so that the ratchet wrench is capable of being used as leither right orleft-handed, at the will of the operator.

By the employment of the resilient stop, spring or member 13 collocatedas described with respect to the pawl 7 and the handle 1, it will beapparent that I am enabled to readily replace the same upon removal vofthe screw or other fastening device 16, so that the life of the wrenchwill be indefinitely prolonged, the removal and replacement of saidstop, spring or member 13 being readily effected upon the application ofa screw driver to the fastening device 16, so that the life of thewrench is indelinitely prolonged, as will be apparent to those skilledin the art.

It will be apparent that while I have shown the resilient stop, springor member 13 as provided with the oppositely located eyes 15 and 17,this construction can be varied and the eye 17 dispensed with, as itwill be apparent that the device will be readily operative if merely thefree straight end of said stop 13 is contiguous to the converging walls11 and 12.

It will be further understood that the pawl 7 can be pivotally ormovably mounted upon the handle 1 in any suitable manner, but Ipreferably employ the construction best seen in Fig. 4, where a simpleconstruction of rivet 18 is employed.

In many of the devices of the prior art, they are likely to becomeinoperative due to the accumulation of dirt or foreign material and theycannot be cleaned or parts renewed by an unskilled operator. Inaccordance with my present invention, the spring can be readily andquickly renewed by an unskilled operator whenever necessary. The springcannot become inoperative due to the presence of foreign material and ithas a self-cleaning action in its slot in the handle.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and usefulratchet-wrench which embodies the features of advantage enumerated asdesirable in the statement of the invention and the above description,and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described'a typicalembodiment of it which will give in practice 'satisfactory and reliableresults, it is to be understood that 'the typical embodiment issusceptible of lmodification in various particulars without departingfrom the `spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of itsadvantages.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new vand desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a ratchet wrench, the combination with a handle having a slotopeningthrough its face, of a hub rotatably carried by the handle, aratchet on said hub, a double pawl on said handle and cooperating withsaid ratchet to rotate the hub in one direction or the other, said pawlhaving its 'tail forming converging abutments, -andaspring having oneend 'fixed to said handle and extending upwardly through said slot andhaving its free end bearing against an abutment, whereby when said pawlis turned t0 actuate said ratchet in a reverse direction, said springwill be raised and lowered in said slot to effect the removal of foreignmaterial `collected in said slot.

2. In a ratchet wrench, the combination with a handle having alongitudinally eX- tending slot opening through its face, of a hubrotatably carried by the handle, a ratchet on said hub, a double pawl onsaid handle and coperating 'with said ratchet to rotate the hub in onedirection or the other, said pawl having its tail forming convergingabutments, and a spring lhaving one end fixed to said handle andextending through said slot in an upward direction and having its freeend deflected to bear against an abutment, whereby when said pawl isturned to actuate said ratchet in a reverse direction, said springwillbe raised and lowered in said slot to effect the removal of anyforeign material collected in said slot.

REGINALD F. sEDGLEY.

Witnesses:

I-I. S. FAIRBANKS, C. D. MCVAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ID. C.

